CNET Update: Unlock your phone with Motorola's 'digital tattoo'

CNET Update: Unlock your phone with Motorola's 'digital tattoo'

2:54 /
23 July 2014

Motorola unveils a near-field communication security sticker for your wrist, Sony's high-priced Walkman gets buzz, and the cute Jibo robot wants to be part of the family.

It's time to get some digital tattoos and adopt a family robot.
I'm Bridget Carey, and this is your cnet update.
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During this time of year, tech news tends to slow down a bit, but when the news is dry.
It gives us the opportunity to cover some of the more bizarre gadgets out there.
take for instance Motorola's Digital Tattoo.
There are many ways to unlock a smartphone, there are pincodes, passwords, patterns.
You can use a thumbprint.
Even use face detection.
But Motorola thinks you may want to use a sticker on your skin.
It's called a digital tattoo, but it's just a sticker with circuitry.
It's about the size of a nickel, designed to work with the Moto X smart phone.
When you tap the phone to the sticker.
The phone is unlocked.
Now, this isn't new technology.
It's using NFC.
The sticker could save you time, but people may also think you have some sort of skin disease.
A pack of ten costs $10, and it'll stay on when you shower, swim, or workout.
Sony's latest Walkman is getting buzz.
The first cassette playing Walkman came out 35 years ago.
But this new NW-ZX1 model plays ultra high definition digital audio files.
That means the music isn't compressed like a typical MP3.
Along with high def audio comes a high price tag.
It's $700.
It's a bit bulky, carved from a block of expensive aluminum.
It has 128 gigs of storage and 32 hours of battery life.
But it's a hit in Japan where consumers are starting to get into hi-def audio, and by hi-def I mean you can hear every minute detail, like the artist's breathing.
It'll probably take some time before that becomes a thing in the US, but for less than the cost of that new Walkman you can buy a robot for your family.
Say hello to the Jibo, a robot that's connected to the internet, and it can be programmed to do various things.
Like take your picture, remind you of appointments and deliver messages.
It has the ability to identify specific people in your family so it can deliver a message just for a certain person.
It talks to you and you can talk back.
It's still in development and the company is raising money now on indiegogo to mass produce this rotating countertop buddy.
The promotional video shows that it can sense touch and it can be programmed with various apps, it can read a bedtime story or be used for video chat.
The creator has spent her career researching ways to make robots more.
Responsive to humans.
And maybe jibo is a step closer to those helpful robots that we grew up with on t.v.
and in the movies.
You can pre order a jibo now for $500 and it's expected to ship in September of next year.
That's your tech news update for more details, head to cnet.com.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.
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